The Sentara RMH School of Histotechnology learned recently that its program ranks higher than the national average, according to the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) Board of Certification.

Sentara RMH has top-ranking histotechnology school

The Sentara RMH School of Histotechnology (HTL) learned recently that its program ranks higher than the national average, according to the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) Board of Certification.

“On average, our students tested higher than a vast majority of the country,” said Patrick Wilson, education program coordinator for the school. “Our program currently has a 100 percent pass rate on the ASCP Board of Certification.”

The Sentara RMH HTL School is a one-year program that includes six months of lecture and student lab followed by six months of rotation through three hospital-based histology labs located in Harrisonburg, Charlottesville and Norfolk. Entering students must have a bachelor’s degree with a minimum of 30 credits in biology and chemistry (minimum of 12 credits in each field). A certificate is awarded upon completion of the program.Now in its third year, the Sentara RMH School of Histotechnology is one of only two hospital-based programs in the nation and is the only such school within the Sentara system of hospitals.

“The histotechnology field is currently suffering from shortages nationwide,” Wilson said. “Certification opens the door to employment anywhere in the country. Sentara offers scholarships to students who stay within the network following graduation, with payouts as high as $7,000. Many of our students also receive sign-on bonuses upon beginning employment, with several reaching upwards of $15,000.”

Histology is the diagnostic evaluation of tissue and cellular specimens. Histotechnology prepares tissue samples for clinical or research interpretation utilizing a diverse array of chemical and molecular stains.